Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Within the Christian faith, there is a significant amount of confusion
regarding what happens after death. Some hold that after death, everyone
“sleeps” until the final judgment, after which everyone will be sent to
heaven or hell. Others believe that at the moment of death, people are
instantly judged and sent to their eternal destinations. Still others
claim that when people die, their souls/spirits are sent to a
“temporary” heaven or hell, to await the final resurrection, the final
judgment, and then the finality of their eternal destination. So, what
exactly does the Bible say happens after death?

First, for the believer in Jesus Christ, the Bible tells us that after
death believers’ souls/spirits are taken to heaven, because their sins
are forgiven by having received Christ as Savior (John 3:16, 18, 36).
For believers, death is to be “away from the body and at home with the
Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23). However, passages such as
1 Corinthians 15:50-54 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 describe believers
being resurrected and given glorified bodies. If believers go to be with
Christ immediately after death, what is the purpose of this
resurrection? It seems that while the souls/spirits of believers go to
be with Christ immediately after death, the physical body remains in the
grave “sleeping.” At the resurrection of believers, the physical body
is resurrected, glorified, and then reunited with the soul/spirit. This
reunited and glorified body-soul-spirit will be the possession of
believers for eternity in the new heavens and new earth (Revelation
21-22).

Second, for those who do not receive Jesus Christ as Savior, death means
everlasting punishment. However, similar to the destiny of believers,
unbelievers also seem to be sent immediately to a temporary holding
place, to await their final resurrection, judgment, and eternal destiny.
Luke 16:22-23 describes a rich man being tormented immediately after
death. Revelation 20:11-15 describes all the unbelieving dead being
resurrected, judged at the great white throne, and then being cast into
the lake of fire. Unbelievers, then, are not sent to hell (the lake of
fire) immediately after death, but rather are in a temporary realm of
judgment and condemnation. However, even though unbelievers are not
instantly sent to the lake of fire, their immediate fate after death is
not a pleasant one. The rich man cried out, “I am in agony in this fire”
(Luke 16:24).

Therefore, after death, a person resides in a “temporary” heaven or
hell. After this temporary realm, at the final resurrection, a person’s
eternal destiny will not change. The precise “location” of that eternal
destiny is what changes. Believers will ultimately be granted entrance
into the new heavens and new earth (Revelation 21:1). Unbelievers will
ultimately be sent to the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15). These are
the final, eternal destinations of all people—based entirely on whether
or not they had trusted Jesus Christ alone for salvation (Matthew 25:46;
John 3:36).

Universalism is the belief that everyone will be saved. There are many
people today who hold to universal salvation and believe that all people
eventually end up in heaven. Perhaps it is the thought of men and women
living a life of eternal torment in hell that causes some to reject the
teaching of Scripture on this issue. For some it is an over-emphasis on
the love and compassion of God—and the neglect of the righteousness and
justice of God—that leads them to believe God will have mercy on every
living soul. But the Scriptures do teach that some people will spend
eternity in hell.

First of all, the Bible is clear that unredeemed men will dwell forever
in hell. Jesus’ own words confirm that the time spent in heaven for the
redeemed will last as long as that of the unredeemed in hell. Matthew
25:46 says, “Then they [the unsaved] will go away to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life.” According to this verse, the
punishment of the unsaved is just as eternal as the life of the
righteous. Some believe that those in hell will eventually cease to
exist, but the Lord Himself confirms that it will last forever. Matthew
25:41 and Mark 9:44 describe hell as “eternal fire” and “unquenchable
fire.”

How does one avoid this unquenchable fire? Many people believe that all
roads—all religions and beliefs—lead to heaven, or they consider that
God is so full of love and mercy that He will allow all people into
heaven. God is certainly full of love and mercy; it was these qualities
that led Him to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to die on the cross
for us. Jesus Christ is the exclusive door that leads to an eternity in
heaven. Acts 4:12 says, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there
is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
“There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ
Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). In John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the way and the
truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John
3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” If
we choose to reject God’s Son, we do not meet the requirements for
salvation (John 3:16, 18, 36).

With verses such as these, it becomes clear that universalism and
universal salvation are unbiblical beliefs. Universalism directly
contradicts what Scripture teaches. While many people accuse Christians
of being intolerant and “exclusive,” it is important to remember that
these are the words of Christ Himself. Christians did not develop these
ideas on their own; Christians are simply stating what the Lord has
already said. People choose to reject the message because they do not
want to face up to their sin and admit that they need the Lord to save
them. To say that those who reject God’s provision of salvation through
His Son will be saved is to belittle the holiness and justice of God and
negate the need of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf.